Victim-Survivors’ Prioritization of Reasons for Non-Reporting Adult Sexual Assaults to Law Enforcement

Abstract

Despite the potential benefits of reporting a sexual assault to the police, few sexual assault victim-survivors choose to do so. Prior research on reasons for non-reporting has lacked American Indian/Alaska Native representation as well as a quantitative prioritization of non-reporting reasons. This study sought to fill those gaps by using quantitative data from 95 participants in an online, self-administered survey of victim-survivors of adult sexual assaults in Alaska. Descriptive, univariate results revealed great variation in the reasons for non-reporting. Further, which reasons were more commonly endorsed changed when measuring victim-survivor prioritization of reasons (primary, secondary, and tertiary) rather than simple endorsement. Lastly, there were few subgroup differences when conducting bivariate analyses using racial/ethnic identity and the act of reporting other adult sexual assaults in Alaska. The results of this study add to existing literature on non-reporting with an emphasis on changing how we measure the reasons behind non-reporting. The results also signal to criminal justice policy makers and practitioners that proactive, comprehensive efforts must be made to regain the faith and trust of current and potential victim-survivors so that they see the criminal justice system as a viable avenue for securing justice in ways that are meaningful to them.

Intimate Partner Violence, Femicide, and General Theories: Issues for Research and Policy From the View of Modern Control Theory

“…Whether notification to police or to others, the data have been clear for decades-well over half of interpersonal violence incidents (surely much more, given known problems with nonreporting of repetitive or serial victimizations) are not reported. The reasons are multiple (I. D. Johnson & Lewis, 2023), but prior experiences with the lack of effective response, trust in police and the criminal justice system, and fear of reprisal are significantly reported to survey interviewers. Focused attention on the reporting issues, which must be followed by rapid and effective support, particularly but not exclusively focused on repetitive victims, remains an essential need.…”

“…Felson & Lane, 2012; Finkel et al, 2009; Frías, 2023; H. Johnson et al, 2019; I. D. Johnson & Lewis, 2023; Nofziger, 2009; Payne et al, 2010; Piquero et al, 2021).…”

Labeling Victimization Experiences and Self as Predictors of Service Need Perceptions and Talking to Police

“…In addition to fulfilling gaps in evaluating theoretical models of help-seeking, this study also fulfills gaps in the VAW help-seeking literature regarding geographic and racial/ethnic diversity of the sample. Specifically, with a few exceptions (Braithwaite, 2018; Johnson, 2023; Johnson & Lewis, 2023), there is little representation of American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) victim-survivors in the help-seeking literature, and little representation of Alaskan women in general. This is an important gap to fill because AIAN women are more likely than non-Hispanic White women to have experienced various forms of VAW in their lifetime (Rosay, 2016), and Alaska has exceptionally high rates of VAW against women of all racial/ethnic identities (Smith et al, 2017).…”

Legal Protections Analysis for Physical Assault Victims and Their Impact on Public Safety: Case Study of Judge's Decision Number 399/Pid.B/2020/PN Dps

“…When a collective of individuals believe they have the right to employ force against others without a legitimate justification, it signifies a decline in moral values and empathy within society. [1][2][3] In Indonesia, the issue of beatings is intensifying due to a range of intricate reasons, such as social disparity, poverty, unemployment, and environment where perpetrators of gang attacks can act with impunity. Physical assaults not only impact the victim but also impact society as a whole.…”